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Jamestown battery built by billionaire Elon Musk to be powered up for first time as testing phase begins

Jamestown battery built by billionaire Elon Musk to be powered up for first time as testing phase begins

MULTI-billionaire Elon Musk has won a $50 million bet with an Australian entrepreneur for completing his South Australian battery within 100 days.

MULTI-billionaire Elon Musk has won a $50 million bet with a wealthy Australian entrepreneur for completing his South Australian battery within 100
days.

Software developer Mike Cannon-Brookes today said he had “never been more happy to lose a bet” after Musk’s company, Tesla, started tests at the new
facility at Jamestown, in the state’s Mid North.

Musk and Cannon-Brookes had a Twitter exchange earlier this year over the battery which culminated in the $50 million bet over claims by Musk that
it could not be completed within 100 days.

Cannon-Brookes today tweeted out that he would honour the bet after Tesla yesterday started powering up the 100MW battery, joining Musk in sending
his congratulations to South Australia.

Musk’s Tesla company has built the enormous battery, which expected to be ready to provide power to the state from December 1.

Tesla powerpacks, connected to the 99-turbine Hornsdale wind farm run by French company Neoen, have been fully installed on the site near Jamestown
at a cost of about $33 million. Testing is underway to ensure they comply with SA Government and Australian Energy Market Operator requirements.

Premier Jay Weatherill has flagged that he will travel to Jamestown next week to officially launch the battery.

Musk tweeted to his 15 million followers: “Congratulations to the Tesla crew and South Australian authorities who worked so hard to get this manufactured
and installed in record time!”

The battery will run continuously and provide background security to the electricity system when shortfalls arise. At least 70 per cent of the stored
power will be reserved for use by the government if a shortage occurred.

Under the agreement between Mr Musk and the State Government, if the battery was not delivered by Tesla within 100 days of the grid interconnection
agreement being signed, it would be free — but it will easily meet that deadline.

The lithium ion battery is reportedly three times more powerful than any other system on Earth.